Human Events

Liberalism on Full Display

Perhaps the silver lining to the new Obama administration’s frenetic flurry of executive orders, proposed legislation, "diplomatic" rhetoric and autocratic commands is that people are getting a bird’s-eye view into the misguided perspectives of liberals.

By deifying Obama, his cult followers in the media and grass roots stoked his already exaggerated sense of self-confidence and encouraged him to unmask his true liberalism and unleash, full-bore, his paternalistic mischief. Let’s hope that with all the hype, people are focusing and will wake up to the dangers of a hyper-energetic, intermeddling federal government and the unbridled arrogance of those who believe they are better-suited to run our lives than we are.

In just these first few weeks, we have seen alarming shifts in our approach to national defense, the war on terror, international relations, ethics in government, social issues and domestic policy.

First, there was his in-your-face executive fiat reinstituting America’s support for foreign agencies performing abortion and then his proactive endorsement of the militant homosexual agenda. Then his edict on automobile emissions standards. Next, his stunningly hypocritical support for nominees manifestly guilty of wrongdoing and his self-serving exemptions for appointees from rules he has promulgated.

These were followed by the outrageously inappropriate programs Obama and his congressional colleagues tried to sneak through under cover of the sheer volume and complexity of their budget-busting pseudo-stimulus package. Then there was Obama’s autocratic dictate to corporate-CEO recipients of "bailout" money to reduce their salaries to what he deems appropriate.

But what about the administration’s promised redirection in regard to the war on terror and our relations with other nations? Surely, Obama’s earning a better report card on these fronts, considering that they have animated Bush Derangement syndrome for eight years. Well, let’s see.

There was his reckless pledge to close Gitmo without a clue as to where to send the poor enemy combatants, who are already treated better than most federal prisoners. And his sanctimonious revocation of lifesaving enhanced interrogation techniques.

Then his bizarre apologies to the Muslim world for who knows what. As others have noted, this nation has a pretty good track record toward the Muslim world, with its aid to Somalia, Egypt, Jordan and the Palestinians and liberating interventions in Bosnia and Kosovo, Afghanistan, Kuwait and Iraq.

Besides, wasn’t President George W. Bush always very clear that our beef is not with Muslims or Islam, which he frequently declared a peaceful religion, but terrorists? So why would Mr. Obama suggest to Muslims that we haven’t been friendly toward them during the past 30 years and contradict President Bush’s assurances that we’ve harbored no ill will for them?

And why would this self-styled multilateralist and his party be pushing for a new trade war with their history-ignoring, Smoot-Hawleyesque "Buy American" policy? So that’s how he plans on restoring America’s image in the world!

Of course, he’s also announced his plans to gut our strategic missile defense programs, but are you aware that he has demanded that the Defense Department trim its budget by 10 percent despite his promise to strengthen the military? And why not? We are the world’s aggressors, and there wouldn’t be terrorists if we didn’t "create" them with our bellicose "unilateralism."

He has informed Gen. David Petraeus that he is going to veto Petraeus’ advice and pull our troops out of Iraq in 16 months come hell or high water. It obviously doesn’t faze him that those in a far better position to know believe this would jeopardize the viability of the new Iraqi democracy and the stability of the region and embolden our WOT enemies. And yes, I am saying that our enemies in Iraq are among our terrorist enemies in the war on terror.

But Obama doesn’t think so. One of his greatest concerns is that the Bush administration cut too wide a swath with his inflammatory phrase "the war on terror," which supposedly provokes otherwise-peaceful Muslims. We must "avoid inflating the religious bases and glamorous appeal of the (extremists’) ideology."

Does that make the slightest sense to you? Bush specifically didn’t say "war against Muslims."

The AP says Obama prefers "enduring struggle against terrorism and extremism" and "ongoing struggle." One administration official said, "We’re trying to come up with a phrase that better articulates a hopeful message." Hopeful to terrorists, maybe, that we are a naive, cowardly, self-hating paper tiger.

The liberal mind is a wonder to behold. Though Bush’s policies have kept us free from terrorist attacks since 9/11, the Obamites are in a mad dash to reverse course. While terrorists are plotting daily to destroy us and regard feckless overtures only as signs of weakness and encouragement to redouble their efforts, this administration is preoccupied with making nice. It’s a funny way to fight a war.

But then again, we are living in strange times, with liberalism on full display.